CARING FOR YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
Pelvic Floor Therapy
Cancer symptoms, treatments, and surgeries often impact the pelvic floor, resulting in sexual problems, incontinence, and pain. Pelvic floor physical therapy uses biofeedback, exercises, and massage to encourage relaxation and strengthen the lower pelvic floor muscles.
These therapeutic treatments improve quality outcomes for both men and women. Typically, several weeks to months of pelvic floor physical therapy is needed.
WHY CHOOSE PELVIC FLOOR THERAPY?
Quality Improvement for Men & Women
The pelvic floor muscles act as a support system for the pelvis, which contains the bladder, rectum, vagina (in women) and prostate (in men.) Pelvic floor physical therapy can potentially improve related symptoms that occur during, and as a result of, various cancer treatments. Massage and manual therapy techniques stretch and release the connective tissue between the skin, muscles, and bones in your pelvic region. This encourages relaxation and strengthening of the lower pelvic muscles.
By improving pelvic muscle and tissue health, these treatments help to address symptoms such as:
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Difficulty achieving orgasm
- Fecal incontinence or urgency
- Loss of muscle tone/strength
- Lymphedema
- Osteoporosis
- Painful intercourse
- Painful urination
- Pelvic and Abdominal pain
- Reduced libido
- Scar tissue accumulation
- Weak pelvic floor muscles
- Urinary incontinence or urgency
In Men:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Shrinking of testicles and penis
Prehab for Prostate Cancer. For those undergoing prostate surgery, research shows that physical therapy-guided pelvic floor muscle training prior to a prostatectomy can help reduce the duration and severity of urinary incontinence.
Learn moreIn Women:
- Decrease in elasticity and length of vaginal vault
- Narrowing and loss of flexibility in the vagina
- Stretching or weakening of the pelvic floor muscles (may cause pelvic organs to sink toward or through the vaginal opening)
- Vaginal dryness
Learn More
Request a Pelvic Floor Therapy Appointment
Speak with your Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center physician to learn more about how physical therapy can benefit you and to request a referral.
Frequently Asked Questions
We Have Answers
Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center tailors your treatment needs.
Our Location
Our Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is located on the 7th floor.
Need Directions?
We’ll help you with driving directions, where to park and how to navigate our facility.